Printing apparatus, printing method, and computer program product

Abstract

An apparatus for printing input image data includes an image obtaining unit that obtains image data stored in a storage unit of an external apparatus and a printing unit that prints obtained image data. The image obtaining unit includes an image-data requesting unit that requests the image data to the external apparatus, and obtains the image data from the external apparatus that responded a request from the image-data requesting unit.

1 . An apparatus for printing input image data, the apparatus comprising: 
 an image obtaining unit that obtains image data stored in a storage unit of an external apparatus; and    a printing unit that prints obtained image data.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the image obtaining unit includes an image-data requesting unit that requests the image data to the external apparatus, and    the image obtaining unit obtains the image data from the external apparatus that responded a request from the image-data requesting unit.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a thumbnail generating unit that generates thumbnail image data of the obtained image data;    a display processing unit that displays a thumbnail image of generated thumbnail image data; and    a selecting unit that receives a selection of a thumbnail image by a user from among thumbnail images displayed by the display processing unit, and selects image data that is a source of the thumbnail image data for which the selection is received as a print target, wherein    the printing unit prints the image data selected as the print target.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the image obtaining unit obtains image data from each of a plurality of external apparatuses,    the selecting unit selects a plurality of image data obtained from each of the external apparatuses as the print target, and    the printing unit collectively prints selected image data.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the image obtaining unit includes 
 a folder-data requesting unit that requests data on a folder that stores the image data to be obtained to the external apparatus, and  
 a folder-data obtaining unit that obtains the data on the folder from the external apparatus that responded a request from the folder-data requesting unit, and  
   the thumbnail generating unit generates thumbnail image data of image data stored in the folder for which the data on the folder is obtained.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the image obtaining unit obtains image data from a plurality of external apparatuses, and    the display processing unit displays a folder indicating the external apparatus for each of the external apparatuses, and when a selection of a folder is received from among displayed folders, displays a thumbnail image generated from image data obtained from the external apparatus corresponding to the folder for which the selection is received.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the image obtaining unit includes a thumbnail obtaining unit that obtains thumbnail image data from the external apparatus,    the apparatus further comprises 
 a display processing unit that displays a thumbnail image of obtained thumbnail image data; and  
 a selecting unit that receives a selection of a thumbnail image by a user from among thumbnail images displayed by the display processing unit, and selects image data that is a source of the thumbnail image data for which the selection is received as a print target, and  
 the image obtaining unit obtains the image data selected as the print target from the external apparatus.  
   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 the thumbnail obtaining unit obtains the thumbnail image data from each of a plurality of external apparatuses,    the selecting unit selects the image data selected as the print target for each of the external apparatuses, and    the image obtaining unit obtain the image data selected as the print target from each of the external apparatuses.    
   
   
       9 . A method of printing input image data, the method comprising: 
 obtaining image data stored in a storage unit of an external apparatus; and    printing obtained image data.    
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the obtaining includes 
 requesting the image data to the external apparatus, and    obtaining the image data from the external apparatus that responded a request made at the requesting.    
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 generating thumbnail image data of the obtained image data;    displaying a thumbnail image of generated thumbnail image data; and    selecting includes 
 receiving a selection of a thumbnail image by a user from among thumbnail images displayed at the displaying, and  
 selecting image data that is a source of the thumbnail image data for which the selection is received as a print target, wherein  
   the printing includes printing the image data selected as the print target.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the obtaining includes obtaining image data from each of a plurality of external apparatuses,    the selecting includes selecting a plurality of image data obtained from each of the external apparatuses as the print target, and    the printing includes printing collectively selected image data.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the obtaining includes 
 requesting data on a folder that stores the image data to be obtained to the external apparatus, and  
 obtaining the data on the folder from the external apparatus that responded a request made at the requesting, and  
   the generating includes generating thumbnail image data of image data stored in the folder for which the data on the folder is obtained.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the obtaining includes obtaining image data from a plurality of external apparatuses, and    the displaying includes 
 displaying a folder indicating the external apparatus for each of the external apparatuses, and  
 displaying, when a selection of a folder is received from among displayed folders, a thumbnail image generated from image data obtained from the external apparatus corresponding to the folder for which the selection is received.  
   
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the obtaining includes obtaining thumbnail image data from the external apparatus,    the method further comprises 
 displaying a thumbnail image of obtained thumbnail image data; and  
 selecting including 
 receiving a selection of a thumbnail image by a user from among thumbnail images displayed at the displaying, and  
 selecting image data that is a source of the thumbnail image data for which the selection is received as a print target, and  
 
   the obtaining image data includes obtaining the image data selected as the print target from the external apparatus.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein 
 the obtaining thumbnail image data includes obtaining the thumbnail image data from each of a plurality of external apparatuses,    the selecting includes selecting the image data selected as the print target for each of the external apparatuses, and    the obtaining image data includes obtaining the image data selected as the print target from each of the external apparatuses.    
   
   
       17 . A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium that when executed cause a computer to execute: 
 obtaining image data stored in a storage unit of an external apparatus; and    printing obtained image data.